Too much basting is almost worse than too little. It not only pulls the material and makes it unyielding, but it is very time-consuming. If pins are skillfully placed, much of the tiresome basting may be omitted.

Holding the material with seam-marking on seam-marking, the pins should be placed at right angles to the line to be made by the stitching. If pins are so placed, the basting thread will not tangle around them, and they are easily removed if the seam is to be stitched on the machine without being basted.

Fig. 76. - Method of adjusting a skirt pattern for a person who has a prominent abdomen or hips. For the former, the adjustment is made on the gores toward the front; for the latter, on the gores toward the back. A small tuck of not more than 1/4 inch is taken at the back of the gore a feW inches below the hip-line and allowed to run to nothing at the front of the gore. It is necessary to straighten the back edge of the gore after making this adjustment. As this is somewhat difficult, it is better if made on the figure.